


Monmouth's New Resident

by showmeyourtardis



Category: Raven Cycle - Maggie Stiefvater
Genre: Get Together, Hand Jobs, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, Pining, Sharing a Bed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-06
Updated: 2018-12-01
Packaged: 2019-07-27 03:35:15
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 13,933
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16210571
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/showmeyourtardis/pseuds/showmeyourtardis
Summary: An anonymous donation has been given to St. Agnes for refurbishments, which means Adam has to move out temporarily. He moves into Monmouth Manufacturing, but the couch isn't so comfy and Ronan won't let him sleep, so he ends up in Ronan's bed.A slight take on the usual, there was only one bed fic.





	1. Chapter 1

Sunday Morning

When Ronan left Mass, Adam was waiting for him in the car park. He was leaning against the BMW, his hands in his pockets. The sun reflected off the BMW behind him. Ronan wondered if it would be hot on Adam’s back if Ronan pushed him against the car. He wondered if it would warm Adam’s palms as he held tightly onto the bonnet. Ronan had just been on his knees in worship, but he was willing to give it another go.

Adam lifted a hand in greeting, and Matthew bounded towards him, oblivious to the cars trying to leave the car park. Ronan followed Matthew because it was his car and his friend leaning against it. Declan followed Ronan because he wanted to ruin Ronan’s Sunday.

“Adam! Guess what! I’m second Captain of the Lacrosse team,” Matthew said, his curls bouncing jovially as he nodded his head.

“Second Captain?” Adam asked, nodding a hello at Ronan. His hair was getting longer, dusting the top of his fair eyebrows.

“If the Captain dies, Matthew gets promoted,” Ronan explained.

Matthew laughed, and punched Ronan’s arm amicably, “No, stupid. If the Captain gets sick or hurt, I get to lead the team. He doesn’t have to die.”

“He does if you want to be Captain permanently,” Ronan said.

“Ronan,” Declan scolded wearily.

“Fuck off,” Ronan snapped. Declan had been royally pissing Ronan off all morning. First he wore that fucking stupid tie. Then his leg was bouncing all through prayers, and then he was coughing loudly. Now he was ruining the light feeling in Ronan’s chest at the sight of Adam.

“Was it you?” Adam interjected, before Declan could insult Ronan and start a fight. He clarified, “The donation?”

St. Agnes was undergoing construction, starting tomorrow. An anonymous donation had been made to fund the project, and Adam was going to be homeless by 7am tomorrow. Despite utilising anonymous donations in the past, Ronan hadn’t donated this one. In fact, he’d only just learnt of the refurbishments during Mass announcements.

“Not me,” Ronan said.

“It was me,” Declan said. He pulled out his car keys, “Get in the car, Matthew, we’re going.”

“I want to talk to Adam,” Matthew whined.

“It was you?” Ronan demanded. Declan got Adam kicked out of his apartment. He really was asking to be punched today.

Declan looked at Adam coolly, “Excuse me if I didn’t ask the squatter before I helped the church, _Parrish._ ”

“ _Adam,_ ” Ronan corrected ferociously.

Adam’s brow furrowed at being the subject of a fight between the eldest Lynch brothers.

Ronan hated Declan saying _Parrish._ He didn’t say Parrish like Ronan said Parrish. He said it as a reminder to Adam that his surname was nothing. He said it like it was a dirty thing in his mouth. It was a verbal reminder that Adam wasn’t a Lynch or a Gansey. He was nothing. He was a Parrish.

Ronan, on the other hand, said Parrish like a prayer.

Declan set his jaw, but didn’t correct himself. Adam looked at Declan with disinterest, like he was waiting for the conversation to be over already.

“I’m sure he’ll find somewhere to live,” Declan said to Ronan, excluding Adam from the conversation completely, “Perhaps the trailer park he crawled out of will take him back?”

Adam sucked in a breath, Matthew’s mouth popped open audibly. Ronan clenched his fists. He wanted to punch Declan so much, but he could see the challenge on his brother’s face. This was his plan. He was daring Ronan to punch him, right here in the church car park in front of their little brother.

Ronan smirked aggressively, and pulled out his car keys. He turned to Adam, “Don’t mind him, he just got dumped.”

Adam pulled open the passenger door, “Ashley dumped him?”

“She didn’t-”

Ronan cut Declan off, “She realised he was just another womanising, dickhead, piece of shit.”

Ronan slammed the car door and watched Declan glare at him through the windscreen. Adam had an eyebrow raised, he looked vaguely impressed by Ronan’s insults. Declan tried to speak, but Ronan revved the engine drowning him out. He set his mouth in a frustrated line, and said something to Matthew that was drowned out by the growling engine. Adam snorted. Matthew pointed at the BMW.

Ronan stopped revving. He rolled Adam’s window down and leaned over his seat to call, “Matthew, I’ll drop you off at Aglionby on the way.”

“Bye, Declan,” Matthew waved and climbed into the backseat of the BMW.

When Matthew was safely belted in, Ronan released the handbrake and edged the BMW forward. Declan stared him down, but they both knew Ronan would win this game of chicken. He had no qualms with running his brother over.

The BMW crept forward. The bumper was inches from Declan’s leg when he finally stalked off. Triumphant, Ronan jabbed at the stereo and music burst into life, instantly deafening him and restarting his heart.

Adam turned the music down to ask, “Did she really dump him?”

“Yeah,” Matthew said, “he was pretty upset.”

“Good,” Ronan said, driving out of the car park.

“Ronan,” Matthew scolded, but fondly. He leaned forward to hold onto Adam’s seat, “Where are you gonna live if St. Agnes is under construction?”

“I don’t know,” Adam said. His hands busied themselves fiddling with his seatbelt.

Ronan didn’t want to bring up the obvious answer, because he didn’t want to fight. Monmouth Manufacturing was the most obvious answer, and it was probably the most suitable place. Where else could Adam stay for free, that was easily accessible to Ronan? Where else could Ronan see Adam sleepily making breakfast in the morning, or hunched over his books in the evening?

Really, it was mutually beneficial. Ronan got to see Adam, and Adam got a free place to live.

But he didn’t offer, because he knew Adam wouldn’t see it that way.

“Where are you going to go to Mass?” Adam asked.

“St. Maria Goretti Church in Woodville,” Matthew said. He thought for a moment, “Maybe you can live there?”

Adam smiled, and Ronan flicked his gaze to the rearview mirror to see Matthew’s grin. While Adam and Matthew drifted into a conversation about the Lacrosse team, Ronan allowed himself to imagine Adam staying at Monmouth with them. It would be a welcome change to see Adam in his pants in the morning, instead of Gansey.

Ronan dropped Matthew off at Aglionby.

“Bye shithead,” he shouted through the open window.

Matthew laughed, and went into his dorm building. When he was out of sight, Ronan didn’t make any attempt to drive off. The BMW’s engine shuddered beneath them, eager to get going.

Adam didn’t say anything at their lack of motion. He just fiddled with his seatbelt, and avoided Ronan’s look. He knew what Ronan was going to say. Ronan twisted in his seat to see him better, to admire the way the sun fell through the window onto his skin.

“You can stay at Monmouth,” Ronan said.

“Ronan...” Adam trailed off, unable to come up with a good argument. He’d had all morning to think of a reasonable argument to convince them both, but he knew one didn’t exist. Monmouth was the only choice. It was the smartest choice.

“You know Gansey’s going to offer. I thought it’d be less _Gansey_ if I offered,” Ronan said.

“I can’t.”

“Why?”

Adam didn’t answer, because he didn’t have an answer. Ronan knew it, Adam knew it, but he didn’t budge. Ronan readied the BMW to leave, but didn’t release the handbrake. He watched a handful of students leave Matthew’s building and pile into a Porsche.

“The offer’s there if you decide to stop being such a dick,” Ronan released the handbrake and sped off, startling the students.

“I’m not a dick,” Adam said, but he wasn’t upset. He’d expected the offer, no doubt. Anyone who knew Ronan, Gansey, and Adam would have expected the offer.

“Where else are you going to stay?” Ronan demanded, “Are you going to live on the street, Parrish? Will that help your pride?”

Ronan had stupidly gotten his hopes up. He’d let himself imagine sharing a house with Adam, and now he was ridiculously disappointed.

“I’ll figure it out, can you just drop it?” Adam asked, with exasperation. He lolled his head back against his head-rest and sighed.

“Fucking fine,” Ronan said.

He pushed the car over the speed limit as they raced down the streets to 300 Fox Way. Adam didn’t protest at the speed as he was pushed back against his chair. He reached for the stereo at the same time Ronan did. Their hands bumped together clumsily, and Ronan snatched his hand away and set it firmly on the steering wheel. Adam turned the music up, drowning out Ronan’s thoughts about Adam’s hands on his skin.

The Pig was already parked up by the time they reached 300 Fox Way. Gansey was on the doorstep, and he waved at them when they pulled up behind his car.

“Don’t mention St. Agnes,” Adam said when the music stopped.

Ronan got out the car, making sure to slam the door extra hard. Adam climbed out, his face set in annoyance at Ronan’s mood. Ronan glared at the back of his head and locked his car. The two of them joined Gansey on the doorstep, and he looked between them cautiously.

“Everything okay?” he asked, even though he knew everything was not okay.

Ronan knocked violently and aggressively on the door to 300 Fox Way. Blue yanked it open and he narrowed his eyes at her. She was wearing a familiar hoodie over patterned tights. She met Ronan’s glare bravely.

“Is that my fucking hoodie?” he demanded.

Blue looked down like she’d forgotten what she was wearing, “Is it?”

“Don’t lie to me Sargent, you stole my fucking hoodie!”

She looked at him with a challenge on her face, “Prove it.”

One corner of Ronan’s mouth tilted up against his will. He was weirdly proud of her for stealing from him. He hadn’t even noticed its absence, she must have done it last time she was at Monmouth. He only recognised the black hoodie as his own because of the burnt hole on the sleeve, from a particularly wild dream.

He pushed past her into the house, immediately engulfed in the chaotic volume of 300 Fox Way. Women were laughing somewhere in the house, a radio was blaring an awful song, there were children shouting and running everywhere.

“Is that really Ronan’s?” Gansey asked, following Blue and Ronan into the living room. Everyone within a mile could hear the jealousy dripping from his words.

Blue smiled placidly but didn’t answer the question. The four of them sat on the couches in the living room, and Gansey pulled out his Glendower notebook. It was time for their weekly Glendower catch up, and Blue had offered to host this one. Ronan hadn’t been in favour of that idea because he felt too watched within these walls. There were too many psychics, too many women, too many people in general.

As though reading Ronan’s thoughts – which he hadn’t ruled out – a woman Ronan had never seen before poked her head into the living room. Blue looked at her expectantly, but the woman just looked at Adam.

Adam looked flustered under her look. His Henrietta manners overruled his discomfort, “Can I help you, ma’am?”

“Adam, I’m sorry to hear about St. Agnes. If you need a place to stay, I’m sure there’s a spare room here somewhere.”

“What’s this about St. Agnes?” Gansey asked, his ears pricking up like a dog at the mere thought of Adam having trouble.

Adam cringed, and Blue took this as her cue to interject. She stood up and shooed the woman out.

“Thanks, Jimi, but I’ll invite my friends to stay if I want them to,” Blue said, forcibly shutting the door on Jimi.

“It never hurts to be kind, Blue,” Jimi’s voice dwindled as she was pushed into the hallway.

“I’m always kind,” Blue said, unkindly.

“What’s this about St. Agnes?” Gansey asked, unwilling to drop the subject until he knew.

Adam looked to Ronan for help, but Ronan didn’t offer any. He was still sore over his dashed hopes in the car ride here. He focused on pulling at the leather bracelets at his wrist. Adam frowned at him and then turned to Gansey.

“The church is being refurbished, I have to move out,” Adam said.

“What? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because...”

“Because he doesn’t want to stay at Monmouth,” Ronan said.

“Thanks, Ronan,” Adam snapped.

Gansey looked hurt for a second before he composed himself. He pretended to be engrossed in a passage of his own writing in his journal. Blue pulled on the hoodie strings, unwilling to get into the argument that was brewing.

Evidently, Gansey couldn’t let the subject drop.

“What is so bad about Monmouth, Adam? Is it that horrible to imagine living there? With us?” Gansey asked.

Adam looked guilty as he let out a long sigh, “You know it’s not that.”

“Then what?”

“I just want to…” Adam struggled to explain. He waved a hand to encompass the end of his sentence, “forge my own way.”

Gansey opened his mouth, and Ronan could already hear the condescending response. _You think I haven’t forged my o_ _w_ _n way?_

But it never came, Gansey closed his mouth again. Ronan knew it was Blue that had trained that behaviour out of him. Sure, he was still condescending, but only about half the time now.

Silence descended in the wake of Adam’s words. Ronan was firmly on Gansey’s side, but also unwilling to fall out with Adam. Blue was abstaining from this conversation completely. Adam had said his piece, and now it was up to Gansey to say something to either end the argument – win or lose – or change the subject.

Gansey flicked the page in his journal, and pressed his thumb to his lower lip. He wasn’t reading, he was worrying over this new problem Adam had presented.

“A week,” he said finally.

“A week?” Adam asked.

“Just stay with us for a week. You can have Noah’s room-” At the look on Adam’s face, Gansey quickly added, “Or the couch. Until you find a new place.”

Adam mulled this offer over. He wanted this argument over like everyone else did, but he wasn’t willing to compromise his principles for it.

“How much rent?” Adam asked.

It was clear to everyone that Gansey had never imagined Adam paying rent to live in Monmouth. It was also clear to everyone that if he said as much, Adam would fall out with him completely.

“No rent,” Ronan said. Before Adam could complain, he said, “You can be our maid. I’ll even dream you the outfit.”

Adam laughed, and the tension in the room evaporated. Blue and Gansey laughed too, though more out of relief than anything else. It was unclear whether Adam would stay in Monmouth, but the offer was on the table and that was all that mattered right now.

Glad the argument was over, Blue said, “Are we going to Cabeswater today?”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've decided to upload chapter two and three together, because not a lot happens in chapter two really

Sunday Night

That evening, as the sky got slowly darker, Adam sat perfectly still in his car. He stared straight ahead, unmoving. Monmouth Manufacturing loomed ahead of him, unusually threatening in the dying light.

There was a taunting voice in his head. He wasn’t moving in as an equal, he was moving in as a charity case. Ronan and Gansey didn’t really want him, they were just obliged to help him.

Everything Adam owned was in his car. His bed and the chunkier pieces of his furniture remained in St. Agnes, tucked out of the way. All of his clothes, his books, and the few trinkets he’d collected were in his car. Everything he owned, everything that belonged to him alone, would be moved into Monmouth by the end of the night.

Including his dignity.

“This is the only option,” Adam told himself. He wasn’t stupid enough to think he could afford a new place while St. Agnes was refurbished. He couldn’t even afford St. Agnes without Ronan’s money.

The Hondayota was still running beneath him, burning up the last of the fuel he could afford until his next pay cheque. He hadn’t parked in the space left for him, between the BMW and the Pig. He couldn’t park his shitbox in that space. The other two cars were shiny monsters in his headlights, and his car was a pile of rust that had barely gotten him here.

A bird thudded onto his bonnet, startling him. Chainsaw hopped across the car, and seized a moth from his windscreen. As she ate, she tilted her head at Adam, turning one eye in his direction.

Adam didn’t need to look to know Ronan was walking across the car park. He twisted the keys to kill his car, and Ronan yanked the passenger door open. He didn’t shut it when he climbed into the car, and the cool night air swept in.

“Parrish,” he said, watching Chainsaw scratch the paint on the bonnet in her quest for moths.

“Lynch,” Adam said.

Ronan twisted in his seat to look at Adam’s possessions in the backseat, “That’s a lot of shit.”

“They can stay in the car if there’s no room.”

Ronan scowled, “No fucking room? Fuck off, Parrish.”

Adam didn’t say anything. Of course there was room in Monmouth for his few possessions. His whole St. Agnes apartment could fit into Monmouth at least six times. Adam glanced back at his possessions, dodging Ronan’s gaze. The ratty t-shirt he wore to sleep was on top of the pile. It was holey and faded and exactly how Adam felt sitting in the car park of Monmouth Manufacturing. His pillow and sheets were underneath his boxes. It looked like he was sleeping in his car.

“It’s fucking freezing,” Ronan kicked the passenger door to stop it from swinging closed.

He leapt out without waiting, and yanked the back door open. He grabbed two of the four boxes from the backseat and marched towards Monmouth without looking back. Chainsaw was too occupied with another moth attracted by the headlights to follow him.

Adam flicked the headlights off. He didn’t bother locking the car after he grabbed the two remaining boxes, his pillow and sheets, and followed Ronan. Chainsaw, seeing she was being left behind, landed heavily on Adam’s shoulder. Her claws pinched lines into his t-shirt.

The door to Gansey and Ronan’s living quarters was hanging open, Ronan had dumped Adam’s boxes on the couch and sat next to them. Gansey was sat cross-legged on the floor, reading from his Maths textbook. He smiled at Adam. He didn’t ask if there were any more boxes to carry, which Adam was grateful for.

Adam placed his boxes on the floor by the couch.

“Welcome to the castle,” Ronan said. He held his arm out to present Monmouth to Adam as if he had never been here before. Chainsaw mistook this for her cue, and leapt off Adam’s shoulder onto Ronan’s arm. Ronan scowled at her, “Idiot.”

“Kerah!” she protested.

“Where are you going to sleep?” Noah asked, from his too-close position next to Adam. If he was alive, his breath would tickle Adam’s ear.

Adam took a step to the side before looking at Noah to avoid bumping noses, “The couch.”

“You can have my room,” Noah said, “I don’t use it. I sleep with Ronan.”

Gansey choked on his mint leaf, “What?”

“You don’t fucking sleep with me!” Ronan snapped. He glowered at Noah, “You don’t fucking sleep.”

“Neither do you,” Noah said. He ended up stood behind the couch without ever moving. Ronan twisted in his seat to swat at him, startling Chainsaw. Noah jerked backwards to avoid the strike, “but Adam does.”

“What?” Adam asked, shoving his hands in his pockets.

“I visit you sometimes.” Noah looked at Adam with an innocent expression, “Blue sleeps, too.”

“Noah, you’re being so fucking creepy,” Ronan said.

Noah pouted. He moved to sit by Gansey on the floor. Gansey looked at him like there were a million questions he wanted to ask, but in the end he just shook his head and turned to Adam.

“Are you sure you’re okay on the couch?”

Adam knew he had to play this next part carefully. He didn’t want to fall out with Gansey, he didn’t want to piss Ronan off. He could tell Gansey was planning his words carefully too, skirting the subject as best as he could. Ronan stroked Chainsaw, pretending he wasn’t interested in where their house guest was going to sleep. The three of them were just acting in some kind of awkward play.

“Yeah, couch is fine. It’s probably comfier than my bed at St. Agnes,” Adam said, only half-joking.

Ronan pulled an English Literature book from one of Adam’s boxes. He grimaced at it and delicately put it back in the box. Adam smiled at the gentle care Ronan showed the book, knowing Adam couldn’t afford a replacement. He didn’t even show that much care to Chainsaw.

Gansey nodded, and flipped the page in his textbook. He didn’t push the subject of Adam having an actual bed for the time he stayed here. They all knew Gansey or Ronan could buy Adam a bed for the week and then chuck it without even denting their bank accounts, but they all knew that Adam would never speak to them again if they did that.

Adam would rather sleep on the floor. He shoved his four boxes into one corner of the room and sat by Ronan. Noah squeezed between them.

“How long have you been sleeping together?” Adam asked, making Gansey laugh.

Ronan scoffed, but Noah answered excitedly, “A month! I watch him while he dreams.”

“Fucking pervert,” Ronan said.

“He has nightmares a lot,” Noah whispered to Adam.

“Fuck off,” Ronan said.

“Ronan, you’ve met your quota for swearing tonight,” Gansey said, glancing up from his homework.

Ronan stood up and stormed into his room. Noah followed him eagerly. Ronan let Noah inside before slamming the door loud enough to make Adam flinch.

Gansey didn’t seem surprised by Ronan’s abrupt exit, as he scribbled something down on a scrap piece of paper. Adam grabbed his pillow and sheets from his pile of belongings and started making his bed for the next few weeks.


	3. Chapter 3

Monday

Ronan hadn’t really considered what it would mean to live with Adam. He’d thought of playing pool with him and Noah, racing the Hondayota through the car park, and sitting next to him on the couch. That was not what he got.

Adam was a good house mate, arguably cleaner than Gansey, and definitely cleaner than Noah (who had a habit of smashing eggs for fun these days). His toiletries were in the caddy Ronan never bothered to use, his clothes were folded neatly on the arm of the couch, his belongings were organised in the corner of the room out of the way. He used the shower quickly and left the bathroom clean, unlike Ronan who dumped his wet towel on the floor when he was done, and unlike Gansey who always managed to spill his shampoo but never managed to clean it up.

He was, in all possible ways, a perfect house mate.

And yet, living with him was torture.

On Monday morning, Ronan was greeted with his worst nightmare. Adam was sat on the couch, in nothing but a ratty t-shirt and boxers, eating cereal. Ronan glared at him from where he leant against Gansey’s desk. He was furious. Adam had to know what he was doing as he glanced at his watch and scratched his bare knee. Ronan had never seen Adam’s legs so exposed. He’d seen him in shorts before, and never thought anything of it, but now the entire length of his thighs were out beneath his short boxers and it was too much.

Adam’s hair was mussed and uneven from sleeping on the couch. Ronan wanted to do things to him that would make Gansey choke on his breakfast.

“Are you planning on coming to Aglionby today?” Gansey asked, taking a bite out of his toast.

“Nope,” Ronan said, turning his glare away from Adam before his bare legs made Ronan do something impulsive and dangerous.

“Decided to focus on being a total loser?” Adam asked, arching an eyebrow at Ronan.

Ronan flashed him a sharp smile, “Says the loser who slept on my couch last night.”

Adam laughed good-naturedly. Ronan remembered a time, not so long ago, when that exchange would’ve escalated into a fight, and they would have fallen out for weeks. They’d come a long way since then.

Gansey looked between them with confusion. He had yet to master the off-hand banter that made up their friendship. If he said the same thing to Adam, he’d lose one of his best friends permanently.

“What are you doing today, then?” Gansey asked.

“Are you subtly trying to tell me not to go to Cabeswater without you?” Ronan asked, picking up a pen from Gansey’s desk and throwing it across the room.

Gansey watched his pen land inches from Noah’s feet, “No. I’m trying to talk you out of the anti-social behaviour you have planned for today.”

Adam snorted, and Ronan scowled at the two of them, “For your information, shithead, I was just going to The Barns.”

“Fine,” Gansey popped the last piece of toast into his mouth and stood up. He collected Adam’s empty bowl of cereal, and headed for the kitchen. Using his hip to open the kitchen door, he said to Ronan, “Don’t start any fires.”

Ronan flipped him off, and Noah giggled delightedly. Adam stood up, flashing more of his legs obscenely.

“Does he give you that speech every day?” he asked, deconstructing his makeshift bed on the couch and folding it neatly on the floor.

“Yes,” Noah said, “but it makes Ronan want to start a fire even more.”

“Stop reading my mind!” Ronan demanded.

Noah stuck his tongue out at him. Ronan picked up another pen to throw at him.

“Aglionby’s got an interesting new uniform,” Ronan said.

The tips of Adam’s ears turned pink. Ronan pretended to be wholly engrossed in reading the side of a fortune-telling pen. He clicked it and it told him his fortune – _looks promising._

When Gansey came out of the kitchen, Adam went in, his uniform folded in his hands. He came out five minutes later, fully dressed and neatly re-organised. His hair was smooth, still unevenly cut, and he’d swapped his short boxers for pressed trousers.

“Don’t start any fires,” Adam said with a smirk, as he and Gansey left Monmouth for school.

“Fuck you, Parrish,” Ronan said.

The Pig’s engine growled loud enough to be heard. Noah appeared by the window to watch the car drive away.

“I like Adam living here,” Noah said, “If we get Blue to move in too, it’ll be like a party all the time.”

For the rest of the day, Ronan took Noah to The Barns. Noah fed the deer, but Ronan wasn’t convinced they could see the boy holding the apples as they ate. Then they tried to wake up the cows, to no avail.

When Ronan finally left The Barns, he had just enough time to get to Mountain View High School before Blue could get the bus. He had a little bit of vengeance to enact. Noah opted to skip the drive back, and chose to just disappear instead.

Ronan pulled into the bus lane by Mountain View High School, aware of all the students turning to stare at him. Some looked impressed, but the majority looked disgusted with the Aglionby boy in his shiny BMW.

Ronan spotted Blue at the same time she saw his car. Recognition flashed on her face, followed quickly by fear. Her eyes widened, and he rolled down the window to grin at her. She wasn’t wearing his hoodie today, and maybe she’d think twice before stealing from him again.

Ronan leaned on the horn. “Blue!”

She covered her face with her hands. The students glanced at her, and Ronan could see the cogs whirring in their heads. Blue Sargent, audible hater of Aglionby boys, currently the attention of one of the worst examples of an Aglionby boy there was. It didn’t matter that Ronan wasn’t technically an Aglionby boy anymore, he’d always be one in their eyes.

He pressed the horn three times in quick succession. “Blue! Blue Sargent! Blue Sargent, it’s me!”

Blue uncovered her face. She looked torn between embarrassment and anger. She marched towards the BMW, Ronan pressed the horn for good measure.

“What the hell do you want?” she hissed at him.

“Stop stealing my clothes.”

“Are you kidding me?” Blue rubbed a hand over her forehead. Ronan smirked. “You’re such a bastard!”

She stormed away, ignoring the many students staring at her. Noah materialised behind her and patted her spikes soothingly.

“Blue Sargent, don’t you want a lift in my _expensive car?_ You don’t need to take the bus,” Ronan shouted after her. She flipped him off.

Ronan laughed loudly and sped off, scattering gravel under his wheels. He’d get an earful from Gansey for that. Not that Blue needed Gansey to defend her, she’d be working on her own revenge soon. She’d started this game, but could she finish it?

* * *

That night, Ronan lay awake in bed. He couldn’t sleep. He couldn’t stop thinking about Adam’s legs, and how close he was – mere metres away in the living room. He lay on top of his made bed, his headphones over his ears blasting music. Even the volume of the music couldn’t distract him from Adam’s presence, tugging at him like a magnet.

The dream lights around his room let Ronan see the clock on his bedside table. It was 4:04am. If he had been going to sleep tonight, he’d already lost his chance. He might as well stay awake now.

“Fuck me,” he growled. He sat up, looped his headphones around his neck, and left his room.

Gansey was asleep, judging by the unmoving bundle in his bed. Ronan crept past him. If Gansey woke up, he’d probably send Ronan back to his room like a naughty child.

Ronan reached the couch. He couldn’t see Adam very well in the darkness. He could make out the general shape of his head, as he lay on his side. One of his hands hung over the edge of the couch and touched the floor. He’d changed back into his ratty t-shirt and boxers before going to bed, and Ronan would never get used to that sight.

Ronan nudged Adam’s legs with his knee, “Fuck off, Parrish.”

Adam sucked in a groan, and pulled his legs up, making room on the edge of the couch for Ronan. He didn’t move an inch more than he had to.

“What the hell, Ronan?” he asked, in a voice soft with sleep that made Ronan want to lean closer to hear him better.

“My house, my couch,” Ronan said, sitting in the space Adam’s legs had recently vacated. He turned the volume up on his music, and Adam groaned again.

“Seriously, what time is it?” he asked.

Ronan shrugged, “I don’t know. Four, maybe.”

Adam tucked his chin under his blanket, “Go to sleep.”

“You go to sleep.”

“I _was,_ ” Adam said, irritably, burying his face further under his sheets.

Ronan turned his music back down, until it was quiet out of his headphones. He could turn it right up but he didn’t want Adam to be _too_ annoyed, just annoyed enough to talk to him instead of sleeping. Ronan bounced his leg, drummed his fingers on his thigh to the beat of his music. After a minute of this, Adam sighed angrily and sat up.

“Can’t sleep, Parrish?” Ronan asked, with a smirk.

“Fuck you,” Adam said.

Ronan couldn’t help his smile, glad for the darkness of the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> While this is fic mainly about Adam and Ronan, I did want a chance to explore Blue and Ronan's weird frenemy relationship too.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> just a short chapter, but i will try to upload chapter 5 pretty soon.

Tuesday

Adam hadn’t lost _that_ much sleep, but he was still yawning his way through class the next day. He barely made it through Aglionby, and was glad Gansey had driven them to school so he could catch a quick power-nap during the tiny drive back home. When they got back, Ronan was nowhere to be found and both Noah and the BMW were missing.

“Causing mischief,” Gansey said, and disappeared into the laundry/kitchen/bathroom.

Adam glanced at his watch. He barely had enough time to shower, change, and get to the garage before his shift started. Right now, he couldn’t remember why he’d offered to cover his colleague’s shift.

He glanced at the bathroom door, but Gansey didn’t seem like he was going to come out any time soon. With Noah and Ronan gone, Adam decided to risk getting changed in the living room. He pulled his uniform off quickly, folding it and arranging it out of the way of Gansey and Ronan. He was very conscious of getting in the way.

The door opened. Ronan’s eyes widened. Adam clapped his hands over his crotch, heat flooded his neck and climbed into his cheeks.

“Holy shit,” Ronan said.

“Ronan!” Adam hissed, silently begging him to cover his eyes. Ronan never did what people wanted him to do though, and he watched Adam without embarrassment.

Adam felt like he couldn’t breathe under his gaze, he felt so exposed. Monmouth was fully lit by sunlight, there were no shadows for him to hide in. Ronan’s eyes traced his jaw, his collar bones, his chest. They didn’t go lower. Adam shifted uncomfortably. Heat bloomed in his chest, he was sure the colour in his cheeks was more ostentatious than the Pig.

“What are you fucking doing, Parrish?” Ronan demanded, still not averting his gaze, “Do you know what the bathroom is for?”

“Gansey’s in there,” Adam said.

“You couldn’t wait five fucking seconds before stripping off?”

“I’m going to be late for work!” Adam said, embarrassment making his voice louder than it needed to be.

The bathroom door opened, “What’s going on in- oh!”

Gansey was polite enough to cover his eyes.

“Don’t come in here, Parrish is naked,” Ronan said, revelling in the awkward air.

“Ronan, for goodness sake!” Adam shouted.

Ronan finally averted his gaze. He left the way he’d come in. Gansey blindly pawed behind him until he found the bathroom door jamb and pulled himself inside. Adam got dressed record-breakingly fast. He left Monmouth without saying goodbye. He was sure he could hear Ronan’s laughter as he left the building.

* * *

Adam startled awake when someone nudged his knees.

“Fuck off, Parrish.”

Adam groaned, and eased his legs up to let Ronan sit down. He stayed curled up on his side, his chin tucked under his blanket. Ronan flopped down onto the couch, jolting Adam. Tinny music played from Ronan’s headphones, he played with something that was clicking annoyingly. Adam was never going to get back to sleep now.

“What time is it?” he asked with a sigh, rubbing his eyes.

“Four, I think,” Ronan said.

“Do you ever sleep?” Adam sat up, wrapping the blanket around himself tightly.

“I don’t sleep, I just-”

“Dream,” Adam interrupted, “Can’t you go dream somewhere else?”

“No.”

Ronan handed a Rubix cube over to Adam. With a yawn, Adam fiddled with the cube, clicking the sides this way and that, trying to match up the colours. He could only just make out the colours in the darkness, they were more shades of grey than colour.

Ronan leaned closer to him to watch him play with the toy. Anytime Adam matched up the colours on one side, he’d flip it around and find that the colours he’d matched up previously had changed.

“Did you dream this?” Adam asked, with growing frustration. He clicked and twisted and turned, but the colours were changing when he wasn’t looking, he was sure of it. “Why?”

“I like watching you get frustrated when you can’t do something,” Ronan plucked the cube out of Adam’s hand.

“Dick,” Adam said.

Ronan carried on fiddling with the toy. The song changed from his headphones to something with more bass and angrier beats. Adam shifted lower in his seat and let his head rest on the back of the couch. He watched Ronan twist the Rubix cube, getting no closer to solving it than Adam had.

“I see you’ve decided to wear clothes again,” Ronan said.

Adam flushed, glad for the darkness, “Shut up.”

“Shut up,” Ronan mimicked in a higher version of Adam’s voice.

Adam shut his eyes, a yawn overtaking him momentarily. He listened to the quiet music from Ronan’s headphones and the clicking of the Rubix cube. He was sure, just as he started to fall asleep again, that Ronan turned his music up a few notches.


	5. Chapter 5

Wednesday

After school, Adam drove to 300 Fox Way. He left Ronan and Gansey to go grocery shopping, and knocked on for Blue. She answered the door in a purple and yellow dress that was clearly two dresses sewn together. Adam held up the bin bag he’d brought for her.

She took the bag, and pushed the door open wider for him, “Thanks.”

Adam followed her up the stairs, “Why did you want me to steal Ronan’s clothes again?”

“He showed up to Mountain View!” Blue said, her cheeks burning red as she ducked into her bedroom, “People keep asking if I’m in love with an Aglionby boy!”

“Well-”

“Don’t. Say. It.”

Blue dumped the contents of the bag onto her bed and started rummaging through. Adam held his hands up in surrender and sat down by Ronan’s clothes. He could smell Ronan’s laundry detergent, a surprisingly clean smell considering half his clothes looked permanently filthy. As if to prove his point, Blue picked up a pair of dark grey jeans with oil stains on the thighs.

“Does he ever wash his clothes?” Blue asked, dropping the jeans in disgust.

“You can wash your clothes?” Adam asked, feigning surprise.

She pursed her lips at him and rolled her eyes, “Boys are gross.”

“Don’t lump me in with _them,_ ” Adam protested, picking up one of Ronan’s vest tops, “ _I_ didn’t put a fridge next to the toilet.”

Blue shuddered in disgust. She picked up a pair of black, ripped jeans and held them up against herself. The jeans were about half a leg too long. She chucked them into one of two piles she’d created. Adam couldn’t tell which pile was the keep and which was the return.

She picked up a black t-shirt covered with holes that could’ve easily belonged in her wardrobe, “What’s it like living in Monmouth?”

“It’s...” Adam dropped Ronan’s vest to the bed. He thought of early this morning when he and Ronan had puzzled over the Rubix cube for hours. Part of him hoped Ronan came out of his room again tonight, even though he was exhausted. “Interesting.”

“How so?” Blue asked. She pulled a muscle t-shirt on. It was almost as long as her dress.

Adam shrugged, “Ronan never sleeps.”

Adam watched her sort through Ronan’s clothes. Once she had two piles, she shoved one back into the bin bag.

“You can take those back,” she said.

“Explain to me again _why_ you’re doing this,” Adam said.

“He came to Mountain View,” Blue said, as though that perfectly explained her need to dress in his clothes. “In his BMW.”

“And this is...” Adam averted his gaze when she pulled Ronan’s t-shirt off even though she was wearing clothes beneath it, “Revenge?”

“You don’t get it,” Blue said.

Adam agreed, he didn’t get it. But he did want to see what would become of Blue and Ronan’s game. Part of him wanted to warn Blue because Ronan always took things too far. Another part of him wanted to warn Ronan because Blue could be surprisingly vengeful.

In a way, they were both equally matched and also in over their heads.

Adam picked up the bag of rejected clothes, “Want to help me with Cabeswater business?”

“Yeah.”

The two of them headed down to the shitbox parked on the curb. Cabeswater had been asking for his help for a few days now, but he’d been too distracted with finding a place to live. He checked he’d brought Persephone’s Tarot cards with him. He had a feeling he’d need them.

* * *

“Fuck off, Parrish,” Ronan said at roughly four o’clock in the morning.

Adam had already been awake, but it didn’t stop him from being annoyed.

“Piss off!” Adam hissed, refusing to move his legs for Ronan to sit down.

“Language,” Ronan scolded.

Adam had spent the afternoon moving stones and digging up logs. By the end, he and Blue had been exhausted, aching, and muddy. He wasn’t in the mood to listen to Ronan’s terrible music bleeding out of his headphones as he played with whatever he’d dreamt up this time.

“Seriously, fuck off,” Adam said.

“Fucking Christ,” Ronan said, too loud this early in the morning. Adam peered up at him from the couch, and he glared back at him. “Who put a bee in your bonnet?”

“You did. I fell asleep in English today,” Adam said.

Even though he hadn’t moved his legs to let him sit down, Ronan had still dragged Adam back to consciousness. Giving in, Adam sat up and made room for Ronan. With a smug smirk, Ronan sat down on the couch. He was still laughing over the idea of Adam falling asleep in class.

“It’s not funny,” Adam said.

“It fucking is,” Ronan pulled out a pack of cards and started sorting through them.

Adam watched Ronan shuffle the cards. They weren’t normal cards, they had strange spiky drawings on them. Some of them were vibrant in colour and others were a solemn black and white. He held his hand out for the pack and Ronan handed them over.

“Tarot cards,” he said. He watched Adam study the cards, “But they’re all wrong. They have your face on.”

Adam’s heart gave a lurch, heat filled his cheeks. Ronan was right, there was Adam’s face printed on the card. His head was in sepia tone, as he looked off into the distance. He was crowned with pale flowers. Whatever the card was supposed to represent was unclear. The title was written in Ronan’s dream language, so neither of them could translate it now.

“And Gansey’s face,” Ronan said when Adam flipped to the next card. Gansey was a burst of bright colour, in a polo and khakis, surrounded by gemstone-encrusted swords.

“And Blue,” Adam added, when the next card was Blue half painted black and white and half in full colour. The next card was Noah, a smudgy charcoal drawing of a boy laughing. “And Noah.”

Ronan shrugged, and said, almost defensively, “I don’t always choose what to dream.”

Adam flipped through the cards. There was more of all of them, painted in different styles, with different expressions. Adam found another one of himself, that he knew almost instinctively was The Magician card. It was him stood tall and proud, a black feather in one hand held high above his head, an infinity symbol tattooed on his other arm. Behind him, trees stretched infinitely, reaching past the edge of the card.

Adam admired the card, it was painted with loving detail. He knew he didn’t look like this, he was never this brave. But he liked the card. He wanted to see it in the sunlight, to find the details he was missing in the dim light. He was always impressed by Ronan’s dreaming. He never stopped being surprised by the beauty Ronan could create.

Ronan rolled his head away. Adam flipped through the rest of the cards. Here was Blue as the Page of Cups, and Gansey as The Emperor, Noah as The Hanged Man. Adam instinctively recognised these, and he wasn’t sure if it was thanks to his lessons with Persephone or if Ronan’s unconscious mind had made these easier to understand.

“You’re not in here,” Adam said.

“No.”

Adam wanted to see Ronan’s Tarot card. What would he dream himself as? Would it be in colour or black and white?

Adam passed back the cards, and Ronan placed them delicately onto the arm of the couch. Adam stood up, letting his sheets fall to the floor. He pretended he couldn’t feel Ronan’s eyes on him, inching up the bare skin of his thighs. Not for the first time this week, Adam wished he had proper pyjamas instead of sleeping in his boxers and a ratty t-shirt.

“Where are you going?” Ronan asked.

“To sleep somewhere,” Adam said.

“If it bothers you that much fuck off to my room.”

Adam looked at him, and Ronan looked back unflinching. Adam hadn’t even considered sleeping in Ronan’s vacated bed. He was going to sleep in the shitbox, or at a stretch, ask for the BMW keys. But a bed would be better. A bed might cure the sleep exhaustion that was threatening to ruin his week.

“Is there anything in there that can kill me?” Adam asked.

“Just one thing, but only if you touch it the wrong way,” Ronan said, with a sharp smile.

Adam glanced over to the bedroom as though he expected a monster to burst out of it. The call of an actual bed was appealing. It’d been four nights since he’d last slept in his bed, and his neck was beginning to ache. He looked back to Ronan, to double check he had permission or whether he was joking, but Ronan was back to playing with the Tarot cards.

Adam crossed the room and paused at Ronan’s bedroom door. It wasn’t fully closed. There was a big enough gap between the door and the jamb for Adam to see into the room. He pushed on the door and it eased open silently. Adam had never been in Ronan’s room, let alone in there without him.

The room was lit magically by dream lights in the shapes of candles and bubbles that never burst. Chainsaw slept on a perch by the windowsill. Ronan’s bed took up a lot of the room and Adam could almost see how soft it was. The dark sheets looked silky and warm, the pillows looked fluffy and luxurious. The bed was a juxtaposition with the rest of the room, and with Ronan himself. It was so openly inviting, so explicitly soft, everything about it promised safety and comfort and rest.

Adam glanced once more back at Ronan, before stepping into the room. He pushed the door almost closed, not daring to close it completely.

He ran his hand along the bed, the sheets were soft under his fingertips. Adam couldn’t picture Ronan actually sleeping in this bed.

The need for sleep overwhelmed him and he slipped into bed. He kept to one side, more out of the habit of sleeping in a single bed than anything else. His head settled onto the pillow, the sheets wrapped around him. They were leagues above the scratchy sheets he’d brought with him from St. Agnes.

The bed smelt like the inside of the BMW and The Barns – which is to say, like Ronan. Adam was enveloped in a smell he could only identify as Ronan, and it was strangely relaxing.

Adam’s breathing slowed, he let his eyes drift closed. He didn’t let his mind worry about sleeping in Ronan’s bed. He was too tired to care, too comfy to reject the offer.

Sleep overcame him quickly.

In his dream, he was in Monmouth, sat on the couch that doubled as his bed. His sheets were pooled around his ankles, thrown off in reckless abandon. The rough texture of Ronan’s leather bracelets rubbed against his thigh as Ronan’s hand settled above his knee. Adam craned his head to the side, and Ronan pressed a desperate kiss to his freshly exposed throat. Adam gasped, Ronan’s teeth scraped his skin.

His breath was hot on his ear, when Ronan whispered, “Parrish.”

Adam woke up when Ronan’s alarm clock went off. He was panting and hard, and grateful to the alarm clock, because without it he never would have left that dream. He pulled the sheets up over his head as heat rushed up his neck. He was hard in Ronan’s bed, after a dream that he hoped no one ever found out about.

“What’s he doing in there?” Gansey’s voice came from beyond Ronan’s bedroom door.

“Jerking off,” Ronan said. At Gansey’s huffed response, Ronan said, “What do you fucking think he’s doing in there? I thought he deserved to sleep in a bed for once.”

“I offered, Ronan. Don’t make it sound like I forced him to sleep on the couch!”

Adam blamed his dream on the fact that he was in Ronan’s bed. He didn’t ask himself if he wanted to kiss Ronan, he didn’t want to know the answer to that question just yet. His heart hammered in his chest, and he pressed his fingertips to his neck. He could still feel Ronan’s mouth.

He already knew the answer to that question.

“Should we wake him up?” Gansey asked.

“Can’t you hear the alarm, he’s up.” The door opened into the room, Adam pushed his head up over the sheets hoping his blush wasn’t visible. Ronan said, “Parrish, get the fuck up. Gansey’s worrying.”

“I’m not worrying,” Gansey called.

“I’m up,” Adam said.

He stretched a hand out from under the sheets and turned the alarm clock off. He was still hard. He needed to think of something other than Ronan before he could leave the room. He tried to focus on the mock English exam he had today, but it became difficult when Ronan remained in the doorway watching him.

“Fucking comfy, isn’t it?” Ronan asked.

“Yeah,” Adam said. He really needed to be left alone right now. He rubbed his eyes, keeping his hips angled away from Ronan just in case he looked close enough to see Adam’s erection. “Can you leave?”

Ronan scoffed, “Shy all of a sudden? Pretty sure you had your entire dick out in the living room yesterday.”

“Ronan,” Adam said, hoping he didn’t sound as desperate as he felt. He really didn’t want Ronan to say the word _dick_ again. “Fuck off.”

“Whatever.” Ronan shut the door behind him.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blue ups the game, Ronan can't sleep, Adam can.

Thursday

Ronan and Adam stared at the three pizzas they’d just bought. Well, Ronan had bought them and Adam had protested and said his money was just as good. Ronan had told him to fuck off. Now they were waiting for Gansey to get back from picking up Blue, but he was taking longer than was necessary. He’d probably been roped into taste-testing Maura’s newest teas.

“Just have a slice,” Ronan said, stretching out across the floor.

Adam’s stomach growled and he said, “I can wait.”

“Fuck off and eat, Parrish. I don’t need your stomach serenading me, it’s creepier than Noah.”

“Hey!” Noah protested, appearing on the couch by Adam. He frowned down at Ronan, “That was mean.”

“I thought you’d be with Blue,” Adam said, trying to hide the longing looks he was throwing the pizza.

Ronan had to admit, the smell was tugging at his stomach too.

“If Blue and Gansey can’t be bothered to be on time, you can fucking eat first,” Ronan told Adam.

“I _was_ with Blue,” Noah said. He looked at Adam, “But I didn’t like it.”

“Like what?” Adam asked, pulling his head a bit further away from Noah who had drifted eerily closer to him.

“You’ll see,” he said, ominously. It was made all the more ominous by the fact that he faded away as he said it. His voice lingered after his exit.

“See? Creepy,” Ronan said.

He gave up waiting and flipped open the top box, revealing a ludicrously attractive pepperoni pizza. He was sure Adam came in his pants. Rolling onto his side, Ronan took a slice, and stuffed as much as he could into his mouth. He made eye contact with Adam the whole time.

“You’re the creep,” Adam said, looking away.

“Just eat some fucking pizza!” Ronan snapped.

Gansey’s voice rang out on the stairs and Adam gestured as if to say, _see, they’re back now._ Ronan flipped him off as if to say, _shut the fuck up, Parrish._

“Jane, I find this extremely unsettling.”

The door opened and Gansey stepped in. He looked at Ronan eating pizza and pursed his lips as if to say, _really? You couldn’t wait five minutes?_

Ronan took another slice. Blue followed Gansey into the room and Ronan almost choked on his pizza. Adam gasped, and immediately covered his laugh with his hands. Ronan narrowed his eyes at her.

“What the fuck, Sargent?” he demanded.

“What the fuck, Lynch?” Blue mimicked in a deeper version of her own voice, burying her Henrietta accent.

Ronan stared at her. She was wearing his clothes. She had an entire outfit made up of his clothes, right down to the combat boots that weren’t his but could have easily belonged in his wardrobe. She’d had to roll up a pair of his ripped jeans about forty times to get her legs through, and his t-shirt swamped her.

Weirdly, the outfit suited her.

“Told you,” Noah said, reappearing by Adam. He was a lot more solid now Blue was here. He shuddered when he looked at her, “I don’t like it.”

“Neither do I,” Gansey said, and he looked thoroughly torn. On one hand, he obviously liked Blue. On the other hand, he obviously didn’t like Blue in Ronan’s clothes. Ronan was sure Gansey would much rather see her in a pastel-coloured polo than in ripped jeans.

“I don’t know,” Adam mused. He took a slice of pizza now that everyone was here, “I think it suits you.”

“Fuck you, Parrish,” Blue said, in a mocking voice that was supposed to be Ronan.

“I don’t like that,” Adam said.

“Fuck this, and fuck that, and I’m Ronan Lynch and I don’t care about anything at all,” Blue said.

“Fuck, Sargent, I’ll wash your mouth out with soap,” Ronan said. Blue repeated his statement.

Gansey sighed, “Is this our night, now?”

“I believe so,” Adam said, taking another slice.

Gansey sat by Ronan and opened all the boxes of pizza. He took a slice of the chicken and peppers pizza. Blue loped towards the couch in a walk that was supposed to be Ronan’s, but was nothing like it. She sat shoulder-to-shoulder with Adam, who laughed, even as his ears tinged pink. Ronan narrowed his eyes at her, and she narrowed her eyes right back.

Ronan rolled onto his back. He looked at Blue upside down, “You wearing my clothes is turning me on.”

Adam made a noise of disgust, Gansey sighed for the hundredth time. Blue, to her credit, didn’t break character. She chewed on the bracelets on her wrists. They weren’t leather but they still worked. She looked bored and unapproachable. Ronan was impressed.

“Creepy,” Noah whispered, staring at Blue with wide, horrified eyes.

“You’re creepy,” Blue and Ronan said in unison.

Ronan groaned, as Gansey and Adam laughed. Blue smiled smugly. Ronan picked a piece of pepperoni off the pizza and flicked it at her. She lifted her hand up to deflect it, and it landed in Noah’s lap.

“I don’t like this game,” Noah said.

“Me neither,” Gansey said.

“Fine, fine,” Blue said, finally sounding more like herself. She pointed at Ronan, “Don’t come to Mountain View again.”

“Stop stealing my clothes!”

“I will if you stop coming to Mountain View!”

“Deal,” Ronan said. He held his fist up to her and she bumped her knuckles against it. Gansey still looked perplexed by their game, but he seemed relieved that it was over.

Or, it _looked_ like it was over. As far as Ronan was concerned, it wasn’t close to over yet. Tonight, he would dream.

* * *

When Ronan walked to the couch at midnight, Adam was still up. He’d dragged the lamp from Gansey’s desk to read from his Geography book. He rubbed his eyes tiredly and shifted his legs so Ronan could sit down. He stared at the bouquet of roses in Ronan’s hand.

“Don’t tell me you’re fucking doing homework at midnight?” Ronan asked.

“I didn’t have time to do it before,” Adam said. He looked back to his Geography book, “Why do you have roses?”

Ronan held the roses away from Adam as though he’d lunge for them, “They’re for Blue.”

“What?” Adam asked, looking up from his homework.

“You think I’m gonna fucking let her get away with mocking me? No way,” Ronan said. He pressed his thumb against a thorn on one of the roses stem, feeling the pinch of it against his skin, “She’s going to get another visit at school.”

“From… you?” Adam asked. He rubbed his nose. The scent of the roses was overwhelming.

“From Richard Campbell Gansey the Third,” Ronan said, in an exaggerated version of Gansey’s accent. It was actually more Gansey senior than Gansey junior.

Adam laughed softly, “She’s going to kill you.”

He looked back to his homework. Ronan watched him furrow his eyebrows and worry over whatever Ms. Hall had set as homework. Ronan didn’t envy him. He plucked a rose petal from one of the flowers and flicked it onto his homework. Adam swiped it away and carried on working.

“Parrish.”

“Lynch.”

“You’re up late.”

“You’re up early.”

“Do you want to sleep in my bed again?” Ronan asked, internally cringing at the sound of his own voice.

Adam’s highlighter froze over his page. It was only a second before he carried on highlighting, but Ronan saw it.

“Yeah,” Adam said, but he didn’t meet Ronan’s gaze.

Ronan huffed out a laugh, “Fuck, Parrish, I’m not asking you to kill someone.”

“You don’t mind me sleeping in your bed?” Adam asked.

“I’m not using it,” Ronan plucked off another petal and flicked it at him.

Adam closed his book, trapping the rose petal, and placed it on the floor quietly. Ronan watched him. He liked when Adam was thinking hard about something. His entire face became furrowed, a little dip formed between his eyebrows. His fingers fiddled idly with his sheet.

“What’s up? Did you have a nightmare in there or something?” Ronan asked.

“No,” Adam didn’t explain any further. He stood up. He was wearing black boxers today, and flashing his usual obscene amount of thigh. Ronan wanted to brush his fingertips down his leg hair.

Really, it was a win-win with Adam sleeping in his bed. Adam got to sleep in an actual bed for a night, and, the next morning, Ronan got to sleep on the same pillow Adam had. Even just the thought of Adam in his bed made Ronan’s mind race.

Adam paused on his way to Ronan’s bedroom. At the end of Gansey’s bed, he looked back to Ronan and whispered, “Thanks.”

Ronan waved his hand and went back to studying the roses he’d dreamt for Blue. He let his thoughts follow the idea of Adam in his bed.

* * *

Almost two hours later, Ronan was bored again. He’d plucked one rose right down to it’s bud but the petals grew back unnaturally quickly. There was only so many times he could pluck the flower and watch it grow back. His mind kept wandering back to Adam, over and over. It was worse than when he’d been in bed and Adam had been on the couch, because Adam was in _Ronan’s bed, half dressed and sleeping._

Ronan stood up and carried the bouquet back to his room. He glanced at Gansey in his bed. He was surprised Gansey had managed to sleep through the past few nights. Maybe the closer they got to finding Glendower, the more peaceful Gansey became.

Ronan knocked on his own bedroom door, and then felt like an idiot. He eased the door open, and saw Adam lit gloriously by dreamt lights. He was squeezed onto one side of the bed, and Ronan wanted to believe it was to save the other side for him, but he knew it was just because Adam had never had a double bed before. He didn’t know the luxurious feeling of star-fishing in the middle of a double bed.

Adam had the sheets pulled up to his chin, his head resting on the pillow as he faced the middle of the bed.

“Parrish?” Ronan whispered.

Adam didn’t shift. He was asleep. Ronan wondered briefly if he was being creepy, but he tried to keep his thoughts quiet. He didn’t want Noah to materialise right now and point out exactly how creepy he was being. Ronan crossed the room to the free side of the bed and swapped the bouquet of roses for his headphones on his bedside table. He settled on the bed, but didn’t get under the sheets because he knew that was a step too far.

He hooked the headphones over his ears and the sound of his music thumped through his skull. He glanced over at Adam, admired his delicate cheekbones, his blond lashes dusting his cheeks. He kept a good distance between them.

If Adam woke up and asked, Ronan would tell him to fuck off because it was his bed.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oopsie!!  
> Thanks to JalapenoHoneyBadger for pointing out I'd missed a chapter.  
> Here is the correct chapter 7 and I will upload chapter 8 again. 
> 
> Again sorry for the delays, and mistakes. Hope you enjoy it.

Friday

After taking Ronan’s offer of his bed early Friday morning, Adam slipped easily into a nightmare.

He dreamt St. Agnes was being closed down, but neither Gansey nor Ronan offered Monmouth Manufacturing to him – they weren’t a charity, they said. Blue and the women of 300 Fox Way refused to let him into their house – he was neither woman nor psychic, they said.

Adam went back to the trailer park. He was stood in the kitchen, so small he could touch every wall from where he stood. His dad was walking around the trailer, looking for him. Adam shivered, and shuddered, and shook. His dad’s footsteps grew louder. His shadow fell in the doorway, blocking out the fluorescent light from the main room.

“I knew you’d come back,” his dad said, “You belong here.”

His fist reared back.

Adam flinched so hard he woke himself up. A single tear leaked out of his eye and onto the pillow. It took him a few seconds to remember he was in Ronan’s bed, and the dark shape next to him must have been Ronan.

Adam’s eyes adjusted to the dim light of the room, revealing Ronan’s mouth hanging open as he slept, his head lolling to the side as he lay on his back. Tinny music was coming from his headphones, as always. It was loud enough to deafen Ronan, and it was amazing he was sleeping through it.

Adam stretched a hand across the gap between him and Ronan. He pressed a finger against the sleek metal of the headphones. Adam knew the headphones were a dream object, because they were never connected to anything and yet they always played music.

He lifted one side of the headphones, just enough to let more of the music escape into the room. Ronan swallowed and shifted. At once, his peaceful expression morphed into irritability. It was a lot closer to his awake expression. Adam huffed out a laugh.

Adam, still holding the headphones away from one of Ronan’s ears, shifted closer. The metallic beats resolved themselves into an actual song. Granted it was still one of Ronan’s songs, and didn’t have much substance other than a thumping bass and angry beats. It was surprisingly relaxing in the dwindling night.

He let the headphones go, gently replacing them on Ronan’s ears. His knees bumped Ronan’s legs. He’d gotten a lot closer to Ronan in his quest to hear the music. He was close enough now to feel the heat of his skin.

Adam watched him. It only took a few seconds for Ronan’s face to relax again, his hand twitched on his chest. He wasn’t dreaming, he was actually sleeping. While the mechanics of Ronan’s dreaming remained a mystery to Adam, he knew enough to know Ronan slept like the dead when he dreamt.

Adam wrapped a hand around Ronan’s arm. His skin burned where they touched. Adam was being reckless and stupid, but he couldn’t help it. The dark night, the nightmare, and Ronan’s body heat had conspired to make Adam needy. He wanted comfort, and Ronan was there. The memory of the nightmare softened and blurred when Adam pressed his forehead against Ronan’s shoulder.

He shut his eyes. Ronan’s heat was a physical reminder that he wasn’t in the trailer park, and he wasn’t alone. It was the barely audible music, thumping through dreamt headphones, and the shockingly vivid memory of Ronan punching his dad. It was Ronan, being close and peaceful, that finally unfurled the knot in Adam’s stomach and let him fall back to sleep.

* * *

Ronan woke up alone in his bed on Friday morning. It was mid-morning when he woke up, and Adam and Gansey had already gone to school by that point. Ronan squinted into the sunlight. Last night, half asleep, he’d woken up to Adam pressed up against him, his breath hot on his arm.

Or maybe he’d dreamt that.

Ronan spent the rest of the day planning his revenge on Blue. When the time rolled around, he grabbed his keys and drove to Mountain View high. He parked in the car park, his BMW stood out against the crappy, rust buckets the other students drove. Adam’s Hondayota would blend in here.

He positioned himself by one of the exits, bouquet of roses in hand. When the bell rang out for the end of the day, students began to pour from the door like a badly-dressed waterfall. He caught the gaze of some of the girls, even some of the boys, but none of them caught his eye.

He tapped a student on the shoulder, “Excuse me, do you know Blue Sargent?”

The student shrugged and walked away. Ronan had long ago perfected his Gansey impression, but never dreamed he’d use it in front of someone that wasn’t Gansey. Still, he carried on. He morphed his usual words from acidic into overly polite.

“Have you seen Blue Sargent?”

“Blue Sargent, anyone? Short girl with spiky hair?”

“Me? Oh, I’m Richard Campbell Gansey the Third, her boyfriend.”

Ronan didn’t look like Gansey, but this lot didn’t know who Gansey was. They just needed to hear his pretentious name, see the roses in his hand, and know that Blue Sargent was dating the most Raven Boy of all Raven Boys.

“You’re in trouble,” Noah said, standing in the rushing crowd of students. People stepped around him without actually seeing him.

Less than two seconds later, Blue appeared. She wore a thunderous expression, and Ronan smirked.

“What the hell is this?” she demanded, hands on her hips. If Ronan was Gansey, he would be scared.

Ronan held the bouquet out to her, “For you, my love.”

“Ronan-”

“My name,” Ronan said, loudly, “is Richard Campbell Gansey the Third. But _you_ may call me whatever you want, my rose.”

Blue’s mouth opened but no sound came out. She opened and closed her mouth for a few seconds, struggling to respond. Ronan barely managed to hold off his laugh. He knew he was going to get an earful from Blue, and Gansey, and maybe even Adam for this.

“My dear,” Ronan said, still exaggerating Gansey’s accent, “Has a cat got your tongue?”

Blue slapped the roses out of his hand, “I hate you.”

Ronan scooped the roses off the floor and brushed dust off them. Noah was torn between fear of Blue’s anger, and outright amusement at Ronan’s actions. In a flash, Ronan grabbed Blue’s hand and pulled her towards the BMW.

She yanked her hand free, but fell into step with him anyway. He offered her the roses again, but she just glared at his car, shining like a beacon of excess money.

At the BMW, Blue spun on him. Her cheeks were flushed furiously. They were mostly out of sight of the departing students now, and Ronan dropped the Gansey act.

“Stop stealing my fucking clothes,” Ronan said.

“You… You’re a...” Blue was lost for words, “Was all of this _necessary?_ ”

Ronan patted her head patronisingly, “You were never going to win this game.”

“Did you really buy me roses?” she asked.

“Nah,” Ronan shoved the bouquet into her hands, “I dreamt them. They’ll never die.”

To prove his point, the roses were no longer crushed from being thrown on the floor. He plucked a handful of petals off a flower and threw them at Noah. The petals grew back. Blue sighed. She pulled the passenger door of the BMW open and sat down. Ronan climbed into the driver’s seat.

“What the fuck are you doing?” he asked.

“You just convinced my entire class that I’m dating an Aglionby Boy. You can at least drive me home,” Blue said, buckling herself in.

Ronan shrugged. He’d already won, he could do this one thing for her. Noah was sat in the back seat when Ronan started the engine. He met Ronan’s eyes in the rearview mirror.

“It’s not over, is it?” he asked.

Ronan glanced at Blue, who stared straight ahead.

He smirked, “I don’t think so.”

“You’ll pay for this,” Blue said. “I’ll embarrass you. You’ll be humiliated.”

Ronan patted her knee, “Sargent, I don’t get embarrassed. I don’t give a shit.”

“We’ll see.”

* * *

Adam spent the whole school-day thinking about Ronan. He spent his entire shift at the warehouse thinking about Ronan. While he rearranged stones and fixed the ley line for Cabeswater, he thought of Ronan. He spent his drive back to Monmouth thinking about waking up pressed against Ronan, and slipping out of bed before it could be acknowledged.

It was late when he got back. Gansey was asleep on the floor, a roll of paper in his hand and a tub of glue by his feet. Adam flicked the light off in the main room and went into the bathroom to get changed. When he came out, he didn’t go to the couch.

He knocked on Ronan’s bedroom door. He heard Ronan moving about the room, and then the door swung open. Ronan stood in his doorway, his brow furrowed in annoyance. He was topless. Adam’s mouth ran dry.

“What the fuck do you want?” Ronan asked, quietly enough to avoid waking Gansey but loud enough to sound irritable.

“Never mind,” Adam said, already retreating to the couch. He glanced in the general direction of Gansey, but couldn’t see him to tell if he was awake or not.

“Let me guess,” Ronan whispered after him, “You want to steal my bed again.”

Adam waved a hand, “Forget it.”

“Sure. Why don’t you wear my clothes while you’re at it?” Ronan asked, “Blue’s already doing that.”

“Fuck you, Lynch.”

Ronan laughed, “Parrish, you shithead, come back. You can have my bed but you can’t kick me out of my own room.”

Adam turned back to face him. Ronan was watching him, backlit by his dream lights, the sharp curls of his tattoo were visible, inching up his neck and over his shoulders. He looked dangerous and beautiful.

“I wasn’t trying to kick you out,” Adam said. He swallowed but lost his nerve before he could mention sharing the bed, “You don’t want the couch tonight?”

“I was actually fucking sleeping before you knocked on, so thanks,” Ronan said.

Adam spoke through a yawn, “I’d apologise if you hadn’t woken me up every night since I moved in.”

“Apology accepted.”

Ronan left the door open and returned to bed. Adam steeled himself. Nerves quaked in his chest as he walked to Ronan’s bedroom door. He paused in the doorway. Ronan was already back in bed, lay on his stomach, the sheets only came halfway up his back. He was splayed out like he’d thrown himself on the bed.

After a lifetime of holding his breath, Adam breathed out and crossed the room to the empty side of Ronan’s bed. He climbed in. Instantly, his nose was assaulted with the smell of Ronan. Something stirred in his chest. He willed away the thoughts that crept up on him.

“Missed my bed that much?” Ronan’s voice was muffled where his face was shoved into his pillow.

“Did you dream it or buy it?” Adam asked. The bed was impossibly comfy. It was the right temperature, the right level of softness. It held Adam, the sheets caressed his skin. He wanted to melt right into the mattress. It had to be a dream object.

“Weird fucking question. Who would dream a bed?”

“You,” Adam said, matter-of-factly.

“I bought it. This is what money can buy, Parrish,” Ronan said rubbing a hand luxuriously across his sheets.

“Damn I owe Noah five dollars. I swore you’d dreamt it.”

Ronan snorted, “What does a ghost need five dollars for?”

“I think it’s more the principle.”

They fell into silence. Every little sound was amplified in the room. The sound of Adam’s breathing, still a little too frantic to be considered calm. The sound of Ronan’s arm sliding through the sheets as he shifted to get comfortable. Adam could feel Ronan next to him, almost sense the gap between them like a chasm.

“Do you really want to sleep with me? I could dream a monster and kill you,” Ronan said. There was an edge to his voice. The question was a cliff that Adam wasn’t sure he wanted to fall off of.

“Then don’t,” he stated.

“Fine. But if you fucking snore, I’m throwing you out the window.”

Ronan lay still. Adam assumed he was dreaming. Adam couldn’t settle his mind enough to fall asleep. His body was itching with nerves, his mind wouldn’t let him forget that Ronan Lynch was mere inches away from him, topless and exposed and so, so close. Adam could roll over and pin him to the bed. He could roll over and press kisses down his spine and make him moan his name.

The darkness barely hid Adam’s true feelings. His nerves made him full of energy. He couldn’t lie still. He couldn’t go to sleep. He thought again of pressing his face into Ronan’s shoulder, of feeling his body heat in every inch of his skin.

Adam rolled over, brave and reckless, and pressed up against Ronan’s back. Ronan was on his stomach, and Adam looped an arm around him. He pressed his face into Ronan’s shoulder.

Ronan tensed.

Adam froze.

His bravery gave way to panic. Why had he done this? Why had he thought this was a good idea? Ronan didn’t even know they’d cuddled last night, since Adam had left the bed before he woke up. Adam had fucked up. He started to pull back.

Ronan’s hand caught Adam’s forearm. Adam’s entire body squeezed tight, and Ronan’s hand came to a stop over Adam’s.

Neither of them said anything.

Neither of them needed to.

Adam could smell Ronan’s shower gel. They were skin-to-skin and on fire. They were burning together. Adam’s breath created its own climate in the gap between his mouth and Ronan’s shoulder.

It wasn’t long before their breathing slowed, their heartbeats synced. Ronan fell asleep, and Adam tumbled after him.


	8. Chapter 8

Saturday

Ronan woke up cold. He was still on his stomach, in the same position he’d been in when he fell asleep. Adam wasn’t pressed against him though, and cold air ghosted across his back. Ronan cracked his eyes open. He could hear Adam breathing, uneven and loud, behind him.

Slowly, like Adam would flee if he moved any faster, Ronan rolled over. Adam was awake, and Ronan wasn’t surprised. He looked at Adam, and Adam looked back.

“Parrish,” Ronan said.

“Lynch,” Adam replied.

Adam looked beautiful in the morning. Ronan didn’t often think things were beautiful, but Adam was. His hair was messy and mussed up. His skin looked soft, his eyes were bright. Ronan wanted to kiss him.

“Was my back a good pillow?” Ronan asked.

Adam blushed and dropped Ronan’s gaze. Ronan’s chest hurt. He prayed Adam wasn’t regretting last night. It was the best night’s sleep Ronan had ever had and he didn’t want Adam to go back to the couch. He’d rather sleep on the floor, like Gansey, than let Adam have the couch again.

“It wasn’t,” Adam said, “You move too much.”

“Fucking sorry,” Ronan said, “Next time you share my bed for free, and live in my house _for free,_ I’ll be sure to keep a lot more still for you.”

“It’s not your house, it’s Gansey’s,” Adam said, flicking his gaze back to Ronan’s.

“Fuck off.”

Adam smiled and shifted. He pulled the sheets up to his neck and sighed sleepily. His gaze drifted from Ronan’s eyes, to his mouth, and along the length of his bare shoulder. Ronan shifted closer, pretending he was just getting comfortable. He was keenly aware that he was just in his underwear, and Adam was in his underwear and a t-shirt.

He sucked in a breath. Chainsaw watched him from her perch by the window.

Ronan closed the distance between them and kissed Adam. He tensed up, but Adam was already reciprocating the kiss, greedy and needy. Adam’s hands caught Ronan’s shoulders, and Ronan curved towards him.

Their kiss was soft and light, but there was an edge to it. A desperation seized them both, and Ronan pulled away before he threw himself into the kiss dangerously. Adam was panting, Ronan was on fire.

“I need to shower,” Adam said, as though that mattered at all at this point.

“Okay,” Ronan said.

He kissed Adam again. He wasn’t going to leave this bed. He wasn’t going to stop kissing Adam unless Glendower himself made him. Maybe even then his favour would be for Glendower to fuck off and let him kiss Adam until they were both breathless.

Ronan brushed his fingers through Adam’s uneven hair, Adam’s hand ran down the notches of Ronan’s spine.

This time it was Adam who pulled away. Ronan almost groaned with frustration. Adam looked like he was about to break, and Ronan knew how he felt. He felt urgent, uncontrolled. He wanted Adam’s hands lower, he wanted to kiss Adam’s collar bones.

“We should get breakfast,” Adam said.

“Yeah,” Ronan said.

This time they didn’t kiss again. Neither of them made a move to leave the bed.

Ronan cleared his throat, “You go ahead, I need to...”

“I can’t,” Adam said.

Ronan rolled onto his back and laughed. Adam wiped his hands over his face. They both knew why they couldn’t leave. The unfortunate thing was, Ronan’s erection wasn’t going to go away with Adam so close, and Adam was probably in a similar situation.

Ronan closed his eyes and thought of Declan. He thought of Whelk, and tried to write Latin sentences in his head. But each time, his mind would drift back to Adam, so close and so exposed. He could still feel his mouth, his hands, the need to arch into him and press up against him.

Adam moved. Ronan had only just reopened his eyes when Adam kissed him again. Ronan rolled onto his side and caught Adam’s waist. Adam pushed his leg between Ronan’s, and kissed him hard. Ronan gave up trying to distract himself, and instead surrendered wholly to the kiss.

Ronan ran his hand down Adam’s waist, over his hip. Adam let out a soft gasp against Ronan’s mouth, and placed his hand on Ronan’s thigh. Fire raced up Ronan’s skin, he pushed his hand under Adam’s t-shirt. Adam’s hand traced up Ronan’s thigh. Ronan released a moan he hadn’t expected, and Adam’s hand rubbed over the bulge in his underwear.

Surprise gave way to need, and Ronan eased his own hand into Adam’s boxers. The angles weren’t great, but neither of them cared. Ronan wrapped his fingers around Adam’s erection, and Adam pushed his mouth against Ronan harder, hungrier.

Ronan rocked his hips, and Adam dipped his hand into his boxers, following Ronan’s lead. Adam’s hand wrapped around him and Ronan was sure his heart was going to stop. Their hands moved together, they paused in their kissing to catch their breaths.

Adam bucked his hips, Ronan gasped. They pressed together. Adam’s hand twisted, and Ronan came first. He buried his face in Adam’s neck, as Adam’s hand slowed down.

Ronan pressed his mouth to Adam’s throat, and restarted his hand again. Adam wrapped his hand around Ronan’s, encouraging him to pick up speed. Ronan grazed his teeth over the sensitive skin of Adam’s neck, and Adam came, his hand tightening around Ronan’s.

Ronan pulled his face away from Adam, and Adam rolled onto his back. They were sticky, and sweaty, and panting.

Breathless and grinning, Ronan turned to Adam, “Now you really need a shower.”

Adam laughed, and the sound made Ronan’s entire body warm.

* * *

Sunday

The weekly Glendower catch up took place at Monmouth Manufacturing. There wasn’t much to catch up on this week, because they’d all been busy with school, and work, and sharing beds. At least, that was true in Adam’s case.

Adam gave a brief run down of the work he’d done for Cabeswater, Gansey offered up a plan for the next week. Thankfully, Blue wasn’t wearing Ronan’s clothes. She told them about the bouquet of roses Ronan had given her, which made Gansey frown and Adam laugh.

Noah was lay on his back, staring up at the ceiling. Ronan kicked the soles of his shoes absent-mindedly. The doorbell rang and Gansey got up to get the Chinese take-out they’d ordered. Adam and Blue piled their share of the cost onto his desk. Gansey sat back down and shared out the food.

“Adam and Ronan are sleeping together,” Noah said.

Gansey choked on his noodles, Blue’s head snapped towards Adam and Ronan so fast she probably got whiplash. Ronan glared at Noah, and Adam pretended he was too interested in his sweet and sour chicken to hear.

“What?” Blue asked.

“Noah, you little shit!” Ronan spat.

“You’re… I mean,” Gansey cleared his throat. He sipped his water, “That’s fine. I just wasn’t expecting...”

“He means actual sleeping,” Adam said, feeling heat rush up his neck. “Like next to each other.”

It wasn’t quite true. They were doing more than sleeping.

“Oh! Oh,” Gansey said.

“That’s what I said,” Noah protested.

“We know what you fucking said!” Ronan snapped.

“Are you blushing Ronan?” Blue asked. An evil grin crept over her face. Adam regretted laughing about the rose incident.

“Fuck off, Sargent,” Ronan said.

“You are. Oh my god,” Blue laughed, “Ronan Lynch is blushing.”

“Blue,” Gansey tried to scold her, but he was fighting off his own smirk.

“I will throw you out the window,” Ronan warned, glaring at her.

“He really will,” Noah said.

“Fuck off, Noah!”

“Snappy,” Blue said, “Maybe you should go take a nap. Adam, you too.”

Gansey snorted. Ronan glared at her furiously, but she was immune to his glares. Adam focused on his food, pretending he’d never seen something more interesting. Noah, oblivious to what he’d caused, began to hum the Murder Squash song.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aaaaaaand now it's over!   
> Really hoped you enjoyed it, and if you haven't already, why not check out my other TRC fics? 
> 
> THANKS for all your lovely comments and kudos, they mean the world to me.


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